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On January 15, the Saudi-led coalition and its proxies captured an entrance to the airport of al-Hudaydah after clashes with the Houthis, according to the Sky News Arabia TV.
According to Yemeni sources, Houthi fighters withdrew to their fortified positions inside the airport, which is witnessing heavy clashes now.
Sky News Arabia reported that warplanes of the Saudi-led coalition supported the attack on the airport and carried out a series of airstrikes on the Houthis’ positions there.
According to the Houthis’ media wing, the Saudi-led coalition managed to advance towards al-Hudaydah after conducting more than 300 airstrikes on the outskirts of the airport. The media wing added that Houthi fighters killed dozens of Saudi-backed fighters during the clashes around the airport.
Earlier, the Yemeni Missiles Force [loyal to the Houthis] announced that it had launched an OTR-21 Tochka missile at a gathering of Saudi-led coalition troops along the western coast of Yemen. The Yemen al-Masirah TV claimed that dozens of coalition fighters had been killed in the missile strike.
In a related development, the UN Special Envoy to Yemen, Martin Griffiths, is expected to meet with Houthi officials in the province of Sanaa soon. The two sides will discuss a plan, which may stop the Saudi-led coalition attack on al-Hudaydah.
Previously, similar efforts failed, as the Saudi-led coalition is determined to get a full control of the strategic port of al-Hudaydah in any way.
